Businesses in NJ couldn’t ban use of cash under new bill

The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee advanced the measure barring so-called cashless sales on Monday. The bill doesn’t apply to mail or online purchases. Democratic Assemblyman Paul Moriarty sponsored the bill and says it’s necessary to prevent discrimination against people who don’t have access to credit cards. He also cited a 2017 article on Visa offering businesses up to $10,000 if they discontinued accepting cash by going all digital. Violating the measure carries a civil penalty of up to $2,500 for first-time offenses. The Treasury Department says there’s no federal statute mandating private businesses accept cash for payment. Treasury says businesses are free to establish policies on taking cash unless there is a State law to the contrary.